Willard Christopher Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American Oscar… Read Full Bio ↴Willard Christopher Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American Oscar winning actor and a multiple Grammy winning hip hop artist. He is one of few people who have enjoyed legitimate success in the three major entertainment media in the United States: film, television, and the music industry.
Will Smith was born and raised in West Philadelphia. He spent most of his days in a playground, training basketball and relaxing all cool. Career-wise, he started as the vocalist of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer. The duo was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime." They gained critical acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category (1988).
Smith was a charismatic and energetic performer but he was nearing bankruptcy when in 1990, the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and helped revitalize his career
Although he made a notable dramatic film debut in Six Degrees of Separation (in which he played totally against type as a gay con man) while still appearing in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's film career took off with his role in Bad Boys (1995) along with co-star Martin Lawrence.
After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended in 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996), in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men in Black (1997), where he played the comic and confident Agent J against Tommy Lee Jones's deadpan Agent K. Smith's acting in Men in Black won critical praise. The two films established Smith's commercial reputation as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lines could "open" a film at the box office. Because his movies usually open during the July 4th weekend, many people have come to call a July 4th weekend in which Will Smith stars in a movie "Big Willie Weekend."
Lead roles in Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West, Ali, Men in Black II Bad Boys II and "I, Robot" then followed. He also starred in 2005's Hitch. (Like Smith, Hitch co-star Kevin James starred in a sitcom named for royalty, The King of Queens.) His 2006 role is that of Chris Gardner in the "inspired by a true story", "The Pursuit of Happyness" was nominated for, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" an Oscar in 2007. Smith's son Jaden also stars in the movie.(Jaden Smith as of 2010 lately played the lead role of Dre Parker in the 2010 remake of "The Karate Kid".) Will Smith's latest acting role was "Seven Pounds" in 2008 where he played Ben Thomas an IRS agent. Since then he's been producing movies that include, "The Karate Kid"(2010), "The Human Contract"(2009), and "Lakeview Terrace"(2008)
Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali.
Smith also released a string of hit singles, often associated with his most recent film, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of these were his #1 hit theme song "Men in Black," the #1 hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (which made jiggy a catchphrase for a while in 1998), and "Just the Two of Us," an affecting message to his young son. His first two solo albums went platinum, but his third, on Columbia Records, was a sales disappointment compared to his past efforts, and after a quick Greatest Hits release that was almost not advertised at all, he was dropped by the label. He signed a recording contract with Interscope Records and released the successful Lost and Found in 2005. The album was propelled solely on the smash hit single, "Switch," which appealed to the mainstream media ala "Summertime." The single stayed atop the charts for months and returned Smith to the forefront of Hip Hop.
Also, on February 6, 2005 he appeared in the Super Bowl XXX.
On July 2, 2005, Smith served as host for the Live 8 concert in his native Philadelphia before an enormous crowd, and later performed a set with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Smith married actress Sharee Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998) and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000). Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. He has been consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40.
Will Smith has been criticized for his lip service to his home town of Philadelphia, PA. Several of his songs talk about parts of Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. While he has spoken over the years about how much he loves the city and how much he wants to give back, none of his proposed ventures in the city of Philadelphia have ever been developed. He has proposed opening a restaurant, several upscale bars, and a community center in Philadelphia which have never seen development.
Will Smith was born and raised in West Philadelphia. He spent most of his days in a playground, training basketball and relaxing all cool. Career-wise, he started as the vocalist of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer. The duo was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime." They gained critical acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category (1988).
Smith was a charismatic and energetic performer but he was nearing bankruptcy when in 1990, the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and helped revitalize his career
Although he made a notable dramatic film debut in Six Degrees of Separation (in which he played totally against type as a gay con man) while still appearing in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's film career took off with his role in Bad Boys (1995) along with co-star Martin Lawrence.
After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended in 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996), in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men in Black (1997), where he played the comic and confident Agent J against Tommy Lee Jones's deadpan Agent K. Smith's acting in Men in Black won critical praise. The two films established Smith's commercial reputation as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lines could "open" a film at the box office. Because his movies usually open during the July 4th weekend, many people have come to call a July 4th weekend in which Will Smith stars in a movie "Big Willie Weekend."
Lead roles in Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West, Ali, Men in Black II Bad Boys II and "I, Robot" then followed. He also starred in 2005's Hitch. (Like Smith, Hitch co-star Kevin James starred in a sitcom named for royalty, The King of Queens.) His 2006 role is that of Chris Gardner in the "inspired by a true story", "The Pursuit of Happyness" was nominated for, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role" an Oscar in 2007. Smith's son Jaden also stars in the movie.(Jaden Smith as of 2010 lately played the lead role of Dre Parker in the 2010 remake of "The Karate Kid".) Will Smith's latest acting role was "Seven Pounds" in 2008 where he played Ben Thomas an IRS agent. Since then he's been producing movies that include, "The Karate Kid"(2010), "The Human Contract"(2009), and "Lakeview Terrace"(2008)
Smith was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali.
Smith also released a string of hit singles, often associated with his most recent film, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of these were his #1 hit theme song "Men in Black," the #1 hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (which made jiggy a catchphrase for a while in 1998), and "Just the Two of Us," an affecting message to his young son. His first two solo albums went platinum, but his third, on Columbia Records, was a sales disappointment compared to his past efforts, and after a quick Greatest Hits release that was almost not advertised at all, he was dropped by the label. He signed a recording contract with Interscope Records and released the successful Lost and Found in 2005. The album was propelled solely on the smash hit single, "Switch," which appealed to the mainstream media ala "Summertime." The single stayed atop the charts for months and returned Smith to the forefront of Hip Hop.
Also, on February 6, 2005 he appeared in the Super Bowl XXX.
On July 2, 2005, Smith served as host for the Live 8 concert in his native Philadelphia before an enormous crowd, and later performed a set with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Smith married actress Sharee Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998) and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000). Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. He has been consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40.
Will Smith has been criticized for his lip service to his home town of Philadelphia, PA. Several of his songs talk about parts of Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. While he has spoken over the years about how much he loves the city and how much he wants to give back, none of his proposed ventures in the city of Philadelphia have ever been developed. He has proposed opening a restaurant, several upscale bars, and a community center in Philadelphia which have never seen development.
Afro Angel
Will Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
(Ooh, Ohh)
Here I stand before you - brown.
Color of the mountains
Colossal as the earth
Wrapped so deliciously within my own joy and misery
Feathers of my wings paralyzed by the distance of my mind
Here I stand before you, the color of the night
Frozen by the potential of me
(Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh-uh-uh-uh-uh) An Afro Angel
Afro Angel off your pedestal from perchin above
You on the prowl now, downtown, searchin for love
In all the wrong places, outside your radio stations
Hopin he with new hit single, is tryin to mingle
Today, he is in your town, puttin it down
You in the car with your friends, followin my limo around
Puttin a bug in my boy's ear, your "S" is for free
You'll do anything for Omar or Phil, bring you to me
And then me, hypnotized by the devil as well
Hold out my hand as an invitation into my hotel
No need to RSVP, place your hand in my palm
As all your girlfriends getting jealous, damn she landed the bomb
Willing to trade your spirit for some crass, whack wage
Something small, something simple as a pass back stage
But now I lay me, down to creep
And I - pray the Lord my soul to keep
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
Lil Bobby got a gun now, age fifteen
Destined to spend his life inside a cage it seems
Rage inside, pride, been denied respect
He can't take it though he gotta earn it
But he ain't learned that yet
Out on the town, reckless abandon he's been bullied before
But now he straps, and no more
Attitude high
Flexin on every guy that walk by
But don't start pal
'cause if the gun came from the whiz, Cowardly Lion, got heart now
Let's pull it on a stranger
Ahh, fun for the crew
Surprised when he realized, damn dude got one too
Smile's upside down now, games ain't so cute
Bobby's a deer in a headlights
Pump, drop it or I'll shoot
Then like a sniper, cleanin his rifle, Bobby disobeys his commands
One shot rings out (gunshot) then only the stranger stands
Could of sworn Bobby's blood formed the shape of an angel's wings
But for what?
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
Back in high school, Tamika was the sweetest, the bomb
Hot to death, though in tenth grade a teenage mom
Knocked up by some thug named Russ in the drug game
But had the cutest kid you ever seen
Then all the pressure from her mom
She stepped to Russ
Told him it's either them drugs or us
Either them thugs or us
The ultimatum, either continue bein a thug in the world
Or start lovin your girl
And say God, bear me witness, no doubt, lovin ya dear
But to go from $50 Gees a week to $30 Gees a year
That ain't happenin
I guess he wasn't that strong
He came back the next week, and the whole family was gone
Yo they straight moved away, without as little as a word
Well, needless to say, Russ was a little perturbed
Then in a fury put the pressure on her girlfriend Shawn
And like a clumsy chef she spilled the beans on where they had gone
Upstate Schenectady,
Tamika answered the door
It was the last person she expected to be
They just stared
He said you love me for me?
You can do without the cars, vacations, and jewelry?
Down with me?
Period.
Through life's stress and strife
She said, Yeah, He said in that case
Would you please be my wife?
Then like a sign from the sky, the baby cried
Like an angel sings
I love y'all more than anything
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
(Repeat Chorus)
Here I stand before you - brown.
Color of the mountains
Colossal as the earth
Feathers of my wings paralyzed by the distance of my mind
Here I stand before you, the color of the night
Frozen by the potential of me
(Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh-uh-uh-uh-uh) An Afro Angel
Afro Angel off your pedestal from perchin above
You on the prowl now, downtown, searchin for love
In all the wrong places, outside your radio stations
Hopin he with new hit single, is tryin to mingle
Today, he is in your town, puttin it down
You in the car with your friends, followin my limo around
Puttin a bug in my boy's ear, your "S" is for free
You'll do anything for Omar or Phil, bring you to me
And then me, hypnotized by the devil as well
Hold out my hand as an invitation into my hotel
No need to RSVP, place your hand in my palm
As all your girlfriends getting jealous, damn she landed the bomb
Willing to trade your spirit for some crass, whack wage
Something small, something simple as a pass back stage
But now I lay me, down to creep
And I - pray the Lord my soul to keep
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
Lil Bobby got a gun now, age fifteen
Destined to spend his life inside a cage it seems
Rage inside, pride, been denied respect
He can't take it though he gotta earn it
But he ain't learned that yet
Out on the town, reckless abandon he's been bullied before
But now he straps, and no more
Attitude high
Flexin on every guy that walk by
But don't start pal
'cause if the gun came from the whiz, Cowardly Lion, got heart now
Let's pull it on a stranger
Ahh, fun for the crew
Surprised when he realized, damn dude got one too
Smile's upside down now, games ain't so cute
Bobby's a deer in a headlights
Pump, drop it or I'll shoot
Then like a sniper, cleanin his rifle, Bobby disobeys his commands
One shot rings out (gunshot) then only the stranger stands
Could of sworn Bobby's blood formed the shape of an angel's wings
But for what?
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
Back in high school, Tamika was the sweetest, the bomb
Hot to death, though in tenth grade a teenage mom
Knocked up by some thug named Russ in the drug game
But had the cutest kid you ever seen
Then all the pressure from her mom
She stepped to Russ
Told him it's either them drugs or us
Either them thugs or us
The ultimatum, either continue bein a thug in the world
Or start lovin your girl
And say God, bear me witness, no doubt, lovin ya dear
But to go from $50 Gees a week to $30 Gees a year
That ain't happenin
I guess he wasn't that strong
He came back the next week, and the whole family was gone
Yo they straight moved away, without as little as a word
Well, needless to say, Russ was a little perturbed
Then in a fury put the pressure on her girlfriend Shawn
And like a clumsy chef she spilled the beans on where they had gone
Upstate Schenectady,
Tamika answered the door
It was the last person she expected to be
They just stared
He said you love me for me?
You can do without the cars, vacations, and jewelry?
Down with me?
Period.
Through life's stress and strife
She said, Yeah, He said in that case
Would you please be my wife?
Then like a sign from the sky, the baby cried
Like an angel sings
I love y'all more than anything
Chorus:
Afro Angel, born against the world
You don't have to sell your soul and throw away your pride
Afro Angel, sent from heaven above
Never forget that you are loved
You know that you are loved
(Repeat Chorus)
In "Afro Angel," Will Smith reflects on three different stories of people who have struggled through difficult circumstances and persevered. The song's title character, the Afro Angel, serves as a symbol of hope for those who feel marginalized or forgotten. Smith begins the song by declaring his pride in his own brown skin, which he compares to the mountains and the earth. However, he also notes that he is sometimes held back and unable to fly by his own mental barriers. The Afro Angel appears again in the second verse as a woman who is searching for love in all the wrong places, willing to trade her dignity for a chance to meet a famous musician. Smith cautions her that she doesn't have to sell her soul to be loved and accepted. In the final verse, the Afro Angel becomes a young mother who must choose between a life of drugs and violence with her boyfriend or a safer path for herself and her child. In the end, she makes the difficult decision to leave and start a new life.
"Afro Angel" showcases Smith's lyrical ability to tell stories with empathy and insight. He draws on his own experiences as a Black man in America to create characters who are the heroes of their own stories. The song's message of self-love and perseverance is especially relevant today, as conversations about race and social justice continue to dominate the cultural sphere.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB DOROUGH, CHANNETTE M. HIGGENS, CHANNOAH L. HIGGENS, JADA PINKETT SMITH, LENNIE DEJUAN BENNETT, WILLARD C. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@KymTravis-dg4ol
Willsmith is one of the best lyrical rappers to ever do it top 10 easy ❤❤❤❤
@patrickgrondines9953
love this song
@critiqonthebeat6777
Love this song to death
@XiloChannel
I actually don't even want to hear this song because it is so ingrained in my mind. It is a beautiful song and needs to have much more listeners. It is so sad, that I need to jack out like the matrix.
@CharlesMcKinneyIV
Great message...You need to make more music Will. The rap game needs ya!
@12345rnb
hello , I'm translating rap songs on my YT channel and I can I ask you someting? can you help me and explain to me the whole fist verse? I mean I understand all but I cant catch the context of it. to much slang. will you?
I mean like few lines of the first verse
@CharlesMcKinneyIV
Sure I can help. But let me relisten to the song.
@12345rnb
Charles McKinney
great! :) here you have the lirycs http://genius.com/Will-smith-afro-angel-lyrics . I need to understand this lines : - "Puttin a bug in my boy's ear, your "S" is for free", and "But now I lay me, down to creep
And I - pray the Lord my soul to keep". I Want to know the right context of it. And I'm not sure if the "I lay me" is written correct or if the rest of the lirycs are correct to but sounds like it.
@12345rnb
Charles will you help me with this?
@CharlesMcKinneyIV
***** Very sorry for the late reply but I think it means that the girl was starstruck or lovestruck by a celebrity and she wanted to meet him even if it meant selling her soul for a night of passion or pleasure. She may have lost her virginity to this guy. I suggest that you also research thru other means to get a clear picture as I'm only giving you my interpretation of the message. Good luck!